Abstract

Chilean educational policy promotes reflection to improve the quality of teacher training. Problems for teachers on defining reflection make them use it as synonym of other terms. The objective was to understand the significance that teachers in formation and their trainers give to pedagogical reflection, focusing on the links that are established with the moment when the reflection and the rationality that bases it, take place. The methodological approach was interpretive and a study of Instrumental Cases was used. 28 biology pedagogy students who developed their practice at the province of Concepción, 6 university trainers and 14 teacher guides from the students' practice centers, participated in the study. In-depth and focused interviews were developed. Through content analysis, the predominance of reflection as an evaluative process was observed, evidencing a technical rationality that separates theory and practice. A minority proposes deliberative significance, but any critical notion of reflection was found. It concludes that there´s a link between the rationality of the training plan, the significance of reflection and the moment in which this process occurs. This requires university trainers and teacher guides who share a notion of reflection and a favorable attitude towards practical and critical reflection. Likewise, the importance of reviewing the rationality of the study plan is recognized, which could constitute an obstacle for biology teachers in training to achieve a higher level of teacher reflection.

Keywords Teacher educators; Teaching practice; School teachers secondary; Teacher in service; Reflection